Many people like to drink plum and prune juices. Both are great refreshment and are good for health, but they differ in structure, features, nutritional value, and benefits.
Let’s compare these two juices as “prune juice vs plum juice,” and find out more about them — what they are made from, what benefits these juices provide, what’s the difference between them, their main features, and other things related to these juices.
Note: If you click some of the links in this article we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
How to get prepared these juices
First of all, we need to clear up how these juices are made and what they are made from, which will help us to make a comparison
The main difference between plum and plum juice is how these are juiced. Prune juice is made from the dried prunes.
The prune juice was first commercially produced in 1934 (in California), although it is not widely popular in the United States.
On the other hand, the plum juice is made from the fresh plums. Not all kinds of plums can be used in the preparation of prune juice.
It is usually made from the particular variety of European plums (e.g. the Italian, Tragedy, Empress, Stanley, and President varieties), as these plums are smaller, less juicy, and denser than other varieties.
Moreover, these plums have the pits that can easily be separated from their flesh. On the contrary, plum juice is made from the larger and more juicy plum varieties.
While the plum juice has its own water extracted, dried plums in prune juice are hydrated by boiling water. This is because it’s not possible to juice a dry fruit.
Once the plums fall apart, the juice can be obtained by either a hydraulic press or high-speed centrifugation juicer. Such an extract is then siphoned, filtered, or settled for clarification.
What Is Prune Juice Good For ?
Prunes differ from fresh plums in the higher sugar content, and thanks to the high level of fruit sugar, they can be dried without fermenting.
This juice is considered to be one of the safest juices and is often recommended for toddlers and babies above 6 months. Prune juice is rich in vitamins, carbohydrates, fibers, and minerals.
Prune juice vs plum juice has no cholesterol and fat contents in its composition, meaning you will not gain weight if you drink it. What’s more, many people include the prune juice in their diet to lose weight.
Plum juice has the similar taste like diluted cranberry juice, and it has a brownish color. Since there are different varieties of plums, this juice may vary in level and type of minerals, vitamins, and fibers.
It’s known that plum juice can make the bones stronger and reduce some problems with bones, such as osteoporosis and bone loss. Thanks to the vitamin B6, this juice may help in the growth of the brain and has a positive impact on the nervous system.
Plum juice is also rich in vitamin C which strengthens the immune system, as well as vitamin K that plays a big role in blood clotting.
What Are Prunes (Plum) Made From ?
As mentioned before, both plum and prune juices are rich in fiber and minerals, and they both provide a lot of healthy nutrients to our body.
Both juices have the similar amounts of sugar and mineral magnesium. However, there are certain differences between these two juices, which should be taken into consideration when talking about prune juice vs plum juice.
While the prune juice has zero level of fat, plum juice yet contains a small amount of fat. Therefore, prune juice is considered to be the better choice for diet than plum juice.
Prune juice consists of a lot of antioxidants, which helps in preventing some types of cancer. In addition, prunes are very high in fiber contents, including dietary fiber, and have a laxative effect on bowels by improving the movement of digested food through the digestive tract.
Speaking of which, prune juice also contains a considerable amount of the mineral magnesium, which is commonly included in various laxative formulas.
What does prune juice taste like ?
At last, prune juice contains a certain amount of sorbitol, a sweet-tasting sugar alcohol that provides a stool-loosening effect.
Plum juice, on the other hand, contains more vitamins than prune juice. For example, this juice is rich in potassium, which is proven to help in preventing constipation and reducing various cardiovascular diseases.
Besides, you can find a wide range of other vitamins in plum juice (e.g. vitamin B, B6, C, K), as well as a high level of iron and copper. One cup of plum juice contains about 3 grams of dietary fiber and a number of antioxidants.
According to the nutrition facts labels, the plum juice is slightly lower in calories (160 vs 180 calories in prune juice). The same goes for total carbohydrates — 42 grams in prune juice vs 36 grams in plum juice.
The Bottom Line
The main thing you should remember is that the prune juice is made from dried plums, whilst plum juice is prepared from fresh fruit.
Both juices have plenty of benefits and are very healthy. They have no fat, and it contains greater amount of sorbitol and carbohydrates. Plum juice is rich in vitamins and minerals. Take into account all of these facts when selecting the juice!